The Life of the Prophet Muhammad by Ibn Kathir - Volume 2 of 4

376 THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD
sahih: a badith (q.v.) the chain of transmission of which is considered by
Muslim scholars to be reliable beyond any reasonable doubt; also, a collection
comprised only of such ahadith.
samcan: the receipt of a hadith (q.v.) from a scholar by listening to him or her
recite it and then repeating it back. This method of transmitting and receiving
a badith was considered the most trustworthy of all.
shacb (pl. shu%b): a tribal group larger than a qabtla (q.v.); a nation, race or
people.
shahada: the profession of faith in Islam by reciting in Arabic the words:
'There is no God hut God and Muhammad is His Messenger'.
shaykh (pl. shuyukh): an elderly man; a tribal or spiritual leader; a distinguished
and devout scholar.
shi'a: the doctrine and its adherent, a shi?, that considers 'Ali, son of Aba
Talib and husband of the Prophet Muhammad's daughter Fahma, was the
legitimate spiritual and political heir to the Caliphate of Islam.
sunna: the body of recorded words, actions, gestures and practices of the
Prophet Muhammad. This material constitutes the second foundation of Islam
and its legal system, the holy Qur'm being the first and prime source. In the
plural form, sunan, reference is made to the compilation, by various authorities
of the reported words and actions of the Prophet.
tafsir: exegesis and commentary, particularly applied to the Qur'm.
tasmiyya: the enunciation by a Muslim of the formula: 'In the name of God,
the All-Merciful, the All-Compassionate' prior to any act or activity in which
he or she might engage.
fama$ ritual circumamhulation of a religious site, normally the kacba
tubbac (pl. tababi'a): the title applied to the kings of pre-Islamic Yemen.
mudu': the ritual ablution necessarily practiced by Muslims prior to their
performance of prayer.
zamzam: the sacred well positioned close to the ka'ba (q.v.) within the haram
al-sharK the sacred enclosure encompassing the great mosque in Mecca.
Muslims believe the well to have been miraculously opened through the
agency of Gabriel to provide water for Abraham's wife Hagar and their son
Ishmael.